Apple sues Think Secret website!

19 posts / 0 new
Last post
eeun's picture
Offline
Last seen: 1 year 1 day ago
Joined: Dec 19 2003 - 17:34
Posts: 1895
Apple sues Think Secret website!

...for allegedly revealing trade secrets.

Full story HERE.

Hopefully it's a permanent link.

Offline
Last seen: 6 years 12 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 455
Apple (the company) is such a

Apple (the company) is being a jerck about this whole thing.

You think they would *like* the publicity that their new products garner them.

Its like how big car companies try to keep their new vehicles secret but if spy photos get out, they dont try to sue the people who publish them.

I'm personally excited about a sub 500 dollar imac g4. ONce that puppy comes out, i really think its going to drive the prices of used mac down like crazy. Why bother paying 400 for a used powermac g4 sawtooth when you get can get a nice new imac g4 1.2 ghz for very little more.

I just hope that this "bomb" is going to kil lthe resale values of used macs. I am sick and tired of 4 year old g4's still selling for 400 dollars. Heck retail in town prices of local used g4s is still over 400-500.

Yay to the "bomb", boo to apple for being such a poor sport and suing.

token's picture
Offline
Last seen: 2 years 8 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 231
Or you could look at it like

Or you could look at it like that Apple is pissed because it *isn't* releasing a sub-$500 Mac, and a lot of people are now going to come away from MacWorld disappointed. Disappointed to the extent that the stock price could drop after the conference as opposed to going up. Remember, even stock analysts have gotten onboard with the sub-$500 Mac. Frankly, I wouldn't fault Apple for trying to protect themselves and their stockholders (me). I certainly wouldn't wouldn't classify them as a jerk. I'm not saying that the rumors are false, I'm merely trying to show an opposing view point.

Now, assuming the rumor is true...If you had a big secret that would benefit you really soon, and you wanted to unveil it on your terms in your own way, and someone let the cat out of the bag early, I'm sure you would be really upset too. I am just surprised that you would sympathize more with folks that broke their NDA's more then with the company that could be hurt because of it. A company that most of us, I'm sure, love. As I understand it, Apple is suing Thinksecret to get the names of their sources, and not for publishing the in.formation. I could be wrong on that, but it sounds right to me.

Jon
Jon's picture
Offline
Last seen: 12 years 10 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 2804
[quote]Apple is suing Thinkse

Apple is suing Thinksecret to get the names of their sources, and not for publishing the in.formation.

From what I read in the story, that seems right. Apple whats to punish those who broke contractual obligations in their NDAs, not stop people from publishing rumors. They seem to contend that TS persuaded/bribed people to reveal trade secrets. Apple must do legal work to protect their IP and sueing those who let it slip is how that gets done.

davintosh's picture
Offline
Last seen: 10 years 2 weeks ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 554
An added twist...

... to this line of thought is that however it comes out, AppleInsider is pretty much history. If a.) AI refuses to name names and fights Apple in court, Apple has the financial wherewithal to bring them to their knees in a court battle and shut down the site completely. Or if b.) AI caves and hands over the names of their sources, who in their right mind would ever, ever give any information to AI in the future, which gives AI no exclusive scoops, and they die a slow death.

Either way, it's a sad progression of events.

Dr. Webster's picture
Offline
Last seen: 19 hours 41 min ago
Joined: Dec 19 2003 - 17:34
Posts: 1747
Re: Or you could look at it like

...Apple is suing Thinksecret to get the names of their sources, and not for publishing the in.formation. I could be wrong on that, but it sounds right to me.

Exactly right. Apple has no legal ground to sue Think Secret simply because "stolen" information was published.

The ultimate fate of the case revolves around whether Think Secret is covered by shield laws, which vary by jurisdiction. Shield laws are designed to protect reporters from having to reveal their sources. If Think Secret's jurisdiction has an appropriate shield law, Apple doesn't stand a chance. If not, Think Secret can be legally held to disclose the information, or face fines and/or jail time.

Offline
Last seen: 17 years 9 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 279
A: This is old news B: App

A: This is old news

B: Apple has every right to sue. Posting stolen information is illegal. Just like owning stolen property is illegal. Apple wants to find out who leaked this information. It was a breach of their NDA, and they should be removed from the company because of it.

Offline
Last seen: 6 years 12 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 455
I don't have a problem with a

I don't have a problem with apple going after the people who leaked the info to a journalists site but I have a big problem with apple going after the journallist/journalist's site.

Like someone else said, there are sheild laws that prevent journalists from having to reveal their sources, so why should the site reveal their sources?

Tom Owad's picture
Online
Last seen: 1 hour 1 min ago
Joined: Dec 16 2003 - 15:14
Posts: 3349
Nick dePlume

Apple is suing Nick dePlume, who owns and runs Think Secret, and 20 other unnamed individuals, some of whom Apple believes gave the unreleased product information to the Web site. The company also said that it believes dePlume is an assumed name, and that it will amend its complaint with dePlume's real name and the names of the other defendants, once they were determined.

heh. I doubt the informant ever provided a real name. And something tells me "Nick dePlume" may not keep the best server logs.

Offline
Last seen: 17 years 9 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 279
Re: I don't have a problem with a

I don't have a problem with apple going after the people who leaked the info to a journalists site but I have a big problem with apple going after the journallist/journalist's site.

Like someone else said, there are sheild laws that prevent journalists from having to reveal their sources, so why should the site reveal their sources?

Unless the person who gave the jounalist the info is wanted for either breaking a law, or for questioning regarding a crime. Then a judge can grant the courts permission to aquire the name of said person.

Offline
Last seen: 6 years 12 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 455
Is breaking a NDA a crime? I

Is breaking a NDA a crime? I thought that a NDA was just a contract and could be sued in civil court but not criminal?

Offline
Last seen: 17 years 9 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 279
I think it depends what the N

I think it depends what the NDA is about. I am sure if it was about say, a nuclear warhead, and you gave out plans. then it would most deffinately be a crime. as to whether this falls under that area, guess we will find out.

Offline
Last seen: 9 years 11 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 149
Why Is Apple the only major C

Why Is Apple the only major Computer Company to Sue websites that leak out information?

Dr. Webster's picture
Offline
Last seen: 19 hours 41 min ago
Joined: Dec 19 2003 - 17:34
Posts: 1747
Allright, to clear things up:

Allright, to clear things up:

1. Think Secret cannot be successfully sued for posting leaked information. They didn't break the NDA, their source did. Think Secret cannot be responsible for the actions of its sources. Like I said, Apple is suing them simply to get the name of the source for the information.

2. NDAs are contracts, and so by breaking one you can be sued. Such a case would be civil, not criminal.

How do I know this? I was a journalism major in college, and media law was a big part of that.

Offline
Last seen: 17 years 9 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 279
Re: Why Is Apple the only major C

Why Is Apple the only major Computer Company to Sue websites that leak out information?

Because not a single person in the world cares what Dell's HP's next computer wil look like Wink

Tom Owad's picture
Online
Last seen: 1 hour 1 min ago
Joined: Dec 16 2003 - 15:14
Posts: 3349
Others?

Are there any dedicated PC rumors sites?

Reverend Darkness's picture
Offline
Last seen: 8 years 5 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 502
Yes...

Any page containing the words "Microsoft" and "Longhorn"...

Wink

Jon
Jon's picture
Offline
Last seen: 12 years 10 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 2804
Over [url=http://www.winsuper

Over here the "Athens PC prototype" looks aweful similar to a G5 iMac... Anyone else find the irony? Microsoft wants to emulate low-end consumer Apples? Of course this was long before the into of the new iMac...

Offline
Last seen: 6 years 12 months ago
Joined: Dec 20 2003 - 10:38
Posts: 455
Well the new minimac is the r

Well the new minimac is the real deal:

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

Log in or register to post comments